Watsonville High grad overcomes hardship to become U.S. citizen

SANTA CRUZ &GT;&GT; Juan Hernandez Lopez was 10 when he came to the U.S. from Mexico.

Here, he dealt with domestic violence and homelessness, even as he worked to learn English and achieve academically in Pajaro Valley schools. It was a struggle, he said, but he adapted.

In the fall, the 20 year old will start his senior year at UC Santa Cruz. He'll do it as a citizen of the U.S.

Hernandez Lopez was one of 94 immigrants to swear the oath of citizenship at a ceremony Wednesday at UC Santa Cruz's Porter College.

They newly minted citizens came from Afghanistan and Cameroon, Denmark and Eritrea, Chile and China, Iraq and India, Guatemala and Vietnam, from 25 counties in all, spanning the globe. By far, the largest number emigrated from neighboring Mexico. Surrounded by family and friends, they all pledged allegiance to their adopted land.

"I was kind of nervous, but I knew it was the right thing to do because of everything this country has given me," Hernandez Lopez said.

Most important, he said, was his education. He attended Hall District Elementary School in Las Lomas, Pajaro Middle School in Pajaro and graduated from Watsonville High School in 2011.

Tim Willis was teaching social studies at Watsonville when Hernandez took his class as a sophomore. Willis said as much as he tries to reach out to students, he didn't fully understand the tough circumstances Hernandez Lopez faced until they started playing tennis. Their friendship grew during matches, and Willis eventually sponsored him for citizenship. Wednesday, he looked on as his former student took the oath. Afterward, Willis' eyes grew moist as he hugged Hernandez Lopez

"He's like a son to me," said Willis, who has no children of his own. "He's the best son I could ever have. He's kind, dignified, polite and intelligent."

Inspired by Willis and Amalia Ruiz, his seventh-grade teacher at Pajaro Middle School who also attended the ceremony, Hernandez Lopez plans to become a teacher.

"I want to be able to help kids more than anything make it to college," he said.

The U.S. is a place where ambitions can be realized, said Univision reporter Adriana Sutton, the featured speaker at the ceremony. Sutton, who reports on the Central Coast, emigrated from Colombia, and recalled the day she became a U.S. citizen as "one of the most amazing" of her life.

She recounted how step by step she ascended the ladder of her chosen career, starting as an unpaid writer for a radio station in Northern California.

"This country let me get the dream that I wanted," Sutton said.

Other speakers stressed along with the rights the new citizens are granted come responsibilities.

"I see not only new citizens. I see new voters," said County Clerk Gail Pellerin, urging the oath-takers to register to vote. "Our next election is Nov. 4. We'd love to see you all there."

Mexico native Efrain Aguirre Gonzalez, a Salinas carpenter, said having a say in elections was one of the main reasons he wanted to become a citizen after living in the U.S. for a 10 years.

"I want to vote," said Aguirre Gonzalez. "I want to choose the president who's going to be the best for our country."